


Valentine Times Two

by Zana_Zira



Series: Cold Shoulder Series [4]
Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: F/M, Marriage Proposal, Romance, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-07
Updated: 2013-10-07
Packaged: 2017-12-28 17:32:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/994650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zana_Zira/pseuds/Zana_Zira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Set six months after There Will Come a Day.) Faced with one of the most important decisions of his life, will Vincent be able to gather the courage to show Yuffie how much she means to him? And what will the White Rose of Wutai think when he finally does?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Two Hearts as One

November twentieth. To most people, it was just an ordinary day, another part of the cycle of wake-work-sleep that made up the monotony of their everyday lives. But to Vincent Valentine, November twentieth was one of the most important days of the year. It was the day he thanked every god who would listen for giving him a second chance at happiness and blessing him with the love of the White Rose of Wutai. Today was Yuffie's birthday, her twenty-second birthday to be exact. And today was the day he was going to make the most important decision of his life – if he could get the rest of his body to obey what his head told him to do, that is.

Currently he was standing in an alleyway just outside the apartment he and Yuffie shared, blending into the shadows in true Turk fashion as he struggled to calm his racing heart and revert back to some semblance of his usual cool, collected self. He reached into the pocket of his black uniform jacket, running his fingers over the small red velvet box for what must have been the hundredth time that day. It was still warm from being held close to his body, cradling the diamond ring inside between two pillows of silk and hiding its beautiful luster from prying eyes. His heart hammered in his chest as he went over the words in his mind once again. Coming up with them had been easy; saying them was going to be the part he could barely manage.

" _You do realize that if you don't get there soon, she's going to be old and gray before you ask her?_ " Chaos asked from somewhere in Vincent's mind. The gunman sighed, running his fingers through his long black hair and pulling several strands out of the ponytail he had tied it into for work.

" _I know, I know. I... I just need another minute._ "

" _That's what you said thirty minutes ago. And are you going to remember how to breathe soon or do I need to get you a paper bag?_ "

" _Shut up, Chaos. If you'll remember, I haven't had the best experiences with committed relationships. Forgive me for being a little nervous._ "

"Nervous  _would be a godsend compared to what you are right now. Do I need to possess you and ask her myself?_ "

" _No, that won't be necessary,_ " Vincent said with a sigh. " _I just… what if she says no?_ "

" _Stop worrying, Valentine, you'll be fine. She's head over heels for you, and there's no way she'll say no. So just take a deep breath, calm the hell down, and go get your girl._ "

Taking a deep breath like Chaos had instructed, Vincent rested his hand on his chest until he could feel his pulse slow to a more normal speed. Once he was sure he could manage to appear as calm as he usually was, he pulled himself up straighter and set off for Seventh Heaven. As he walked away from the apartment, he pulled out his phone and sent Tifa a quick text message:

~ _On my way. Should be there in ten minutes.~_  A few moments later, he got her hastily-written response.

~ _You're gonna knock her off her feet. See you soon. ;)~_

Vincent smiled slightly, slipped his phone back into his pocket and resumed making his way toward the party. He just hoped he could remember how to speak once he got there.

* * *

"Vinnie's late to the party  _again_!" Yuffie said from her seat at the table as she swirled her martini around in its glass. "Is this gonna become some kind of tradition or something?" She turned around to face Tseng and Elena, who were seated at a nearby table with Reno and Rude. "He didn't say he was staying late tonight or anything, did he?"

"No," Tseng answered, appearing to be just as puzzled as Yuffie. "He left when the rest of us did and said he'd see us all here." Elena noticed the worried look on Yuffie's face and smiled reassuringly.

"I'm sure he'll be here, Yuffie. He really did seem excited to come – or, you know, what passes as excitement for Vincent. Just give him a little longer."

Yuffie was suddenly a little suspicious of how none of the Turks seemed to know where Vincent was. Didn't they all know where the others were at all times? Before she had a chance to ask them about it, though, the door opened and Cid and Shera entered the bar. Cid was carrying Rozalynne, who was bundled up like a miniature mummy against the November chill, and Shera was carrying a small wrapped present which she left on the table in favor of wrapping Yuffie up in a hug.

"Happy Birthday, Yuffie," Shera said affectionately, releasing the younger woman after she had returned the hug.

"Happy Birthday, Brat," Cid echoed as he sat down at the table and began freeing his daughter from her cottony prison.

"Thanks, you guys!" Yuffie said cheerfully, sitting down at the table with Cid and Shera and scooping Rozalynne up into her arms. "And there's my favorite little niece! How are you, sweetie?" Rozalynne, now six months old, giggled and smiled at Yuffie, reaching out to pull on a piece of her black hair that had fallen close enough to play with. Yuffie laughed and kissed her, bouncing her gently as she let the little blonde baby play with her oh-so-fascinating tresses.

Before long, Barret, Tifa, and Cloud joined them at the table, making small-talk and enjoying themselves while the birthday girl filled them in on everything she had been up to lately. Cloud and Tifa had already heard most of it, seeing as they owned the bar where Yuffie was employed, but they didn't mind hearing it again. Nanaki stretched out on the floor under the table, sighing in resignation when Barret decided to use him as a footrest. Cait Sith was curled up next to him, standing in for Reeve and Rufus, who had both unfortunately had business meetings that night and would be unable to attend the party.

As the group continued to chat, Tifa carefully watched the clock on the wall across the bar, waiting for ten minutes to pass. It was obvious Yuffie was worried – she was one of those people who couldn't hide an emotion even if she tried – but she still kept talking and laughing with everyone as if nothing was wrong. Tifa felt bad for knowing where Vincent was and not telling her, but if the gunman was finally trying to break out of his shell a little in an attempt to surprise her on her birthday, she wasn't going to ruin it for him. After another minute or two of hearing Yuffie talk about one of her least favorite regular customers – who Tifa also hated, incidentally – the barmaid pressed a button on the side of her phone to make it vibrate, then stood hurriedly from the table and flipped it open.

"It's our supplier," she whispered, cupping her hand over the speaker as if there was actually someone there. "I have to take this in the other room. Sorry, Yuffs, I'll just be a minute." Yuffie smiled and made a shooing gesture with her hand. Tifa smiled back and hurried into the kitchen area behind the bar, hurriedly slipping her phone back into her pocket once the door was closed behind her. After she had made sure no one was following her, she tapped three times on the window above the sink with her index finger. A few seconds later, she saw a brass-clawed finger reach up to tap three times on the other side of the window. That was the signal; time to do this.

As soon as Vincent's hand disappeared from view, Tifa opened the refrigerator and pulled out the cake she had baked at Vincent's request. It was a simple sheet cake iced with black; the design she had created was an intricate border of green made to look like the Lifestream, complete with several small round candies that looked like materia and white drops of icing standing out like stars against the black. And the two words in the middle, although they would confuse Yuffie at first, were so cute that Tifa had been unable to resist squashing Vincent in a quick hug when he had asked her to write them.

Covering the cake up and fighting to keep her face neutral, Tifa strode back out into the barroom, carrying the product of her hard work delicately in her arms. Everyone looked up when she set it in the center of the table, and all of them watched in anticipation as Tifa slowly began to lift the cover off of the cake.

"Wait!" Yuffie said, touching her hand before she could reveal her handiwork. "What about Vincent? Aren't we gonna wait for him?" Tifa smiled and shook her head.

"He just texted and gave me the go-ahead. He said he'll be here in a few minutes but he's already seen the cake." Yuffie rolled her eyes but smiled.

"Typical Vinnie. Well if there isn't any cake left when he gets here he doesn't get to complain." Tifa smiled and lifted the lid off the cake tray, finally getting a chance to show off her decorating skills. Yuffie immediately gasped in delight, but suddenly froze, confusion evident on her face.

"'Turn around?'" she asked quietly, reading the words on the cake aloud. She shrugged and did as it said, nearly falling over in shock when she saw Vincent standing just behind her, still clad in his Turks uniform with his hair pulled back into a somewhat messy ponytail.

"Hello, Yuffie…" he said softly, opening his arms and enveloping her in a gentle hug. She sighed happily and snuggled into his chest, giving him a quick kiss before pulling away to look at him again with her arms crossed.

"You're late, Mr. Valentine," she said sternly in her best Rufus ShinRa impression. Reno stifled a laugh behind his hand; she was actually pretty good at it.

"I apologize," Vincent said in that soft, rough voice she had fallen in love with so long ago. He smiled gently at her, taking her hand in his and brushing his lips against her fingers. Yuffie blushed a little, not sure what he was trying to do but liking it a lot. Then, when he slowly got down on one knee and produced a red velvet box from the pocket of his black jacket, she thought her heart was going to stop beating for a moment. Everyone else in the room fell silent immediately, too shocked to say a word.

"This… was the reason I was late, Yuffie," he said, looking up so his crimson eyes met her deep brown ones; his voice betrayed none of the fear that was causing his heart to beat so loudly he was afraid she would hear it. "I spent a long time thinking of what to say to you today… Yuffie, you are without a doubt the most wonderful woman in the world. You've given me more love and patience than I ever deserved, and I thank the gods every day that it was you who found me six years ago. You taught me how to love again when I thought I never would, and now I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Yuffie Kisaragi, will you marry me?"

Yuffie said absolutely nothing for a few seconds, although it seemed like an eternity to Vincent. Then, with an ear-splitting shriek of delight, she tackled Vincent in a hug, wrapping her arms and legs around his body as he stood up and held her.

"So I take it that's a yes?" Tifa asked, an amused smile on her face while she watched the two of them.

"Yes, yes, yes, a thousand times yes! Oh, Leviathan, Vinnie! I love you so much! Of course I'll marry you!" Vincent broke into a grin unlike any the others had ever seen from him before – not a smirk or an amused quirk of his lips, but a real grin of pure joy that reached to his eyes and showed off his perfectly white teeth. He hugged Yuffie tightly, pulling her close to him and shaking with emotion.

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear that."

* * *

Following Vincent's proposal, everyone was in extremely high spirits for the rest of the evening. The two of them were practically glued to each other's sides the entire time, and there was a lively shine in the gunman's eyes that no one but Yuffie had ever seen before. Cid had gotten a little teary-eyed during the proposal, although he immediately denied it. "Got some damn smoke in my eyes, that's all…" he said, to which Shera had rolled her eyes and pretended he hadn't said anything.

At some point, someone managed to snap a picture when Vincent ended up once again holding Rozalynne, who was still inexplicably almost as attached to him as she was to her own parents. The picture ended up being sent to Rufus ShinRa and Reeve, who refrained from making fun of him too much but who he was pretty sure would use it to blackmail him if he ever did something to make them angry.

By the time midnight rolled around, everyone was exhausted and most were drunk or very close to it. Vincent, having learned how he handled alcohol when he had gone out to a bar with Cid, stayed far away from everything but a single glass of wine. Before long, everyone had begun to depart, wishing Yuffie a happy birthday and congratulating both of them on their engagement. Once only Tifa and Cloud were left, Vincent decided it was probably time to head home. Taking Yuffie's hand and helping her up, he thanked Cloud and Tifa for their company and headed for the door of the bar. As they strode down the sidewalk toward the apartment – or rather Vincent walked and Yuffie stumbled and leaned heavily against him – Yuffie stepped out in front of him, pulling him into a hug and laying her head on his shoulder.

"So, you really think I'm the most wonderful woman in the world, Vince?"

"No, I  _know_  you are."

" _Nice line, Valentine,_ " Chaos added smugly. " _Didn't I tell you it would work out?_ " Vincent ignored him, but a small smile ghosted over his lips as he held Yuffie close to him.

"Yeah?" she asked, rubbing her cheek against his like a cat might. "Well I think yooouu are the most wonderful man in existence. And you're allll miiiine." Vincent chuckled softly.

"Yes, I am," he said as they resumed walking to their home. "And I always will be, my White Rose."


	2. Your Hand in Mine

It wasn't often that Rufus ShinRa's estate had guests anymore. Which, he thought as he strolled down the cobblestone path near the edge of the property, was a real shame. He was actually quite fond of parties and get-togethers, but with the name ShinRa being reduced to a common curse word in most households, there were not many people willing to set foot in any place he owned, unless it was to try to vandalize it. In fact, prior to today it had been years since he had hosted any significant number of people in his home, and he hadn't realized until recently how much he had missed it. So when he had heard the news back in November that Yuffie and Vincent were engaged, he had jumped at the opportunity and invited the old-new Turk and the Wutaian ninja to hold their wedding here.

They had gratefully accepted and the results, he had to say, were very impressive even for him. He had had several acres of his gardens cordoned off for the ceremony, all recently replanted with Wutaian trees and flowers of varying colors. The winter had luckily been unseasonably warm, so the many cherry trees his gardeners had planted along the path to the altar had already bloomed and begun gently dropping their petals, sprinkling the chairs and the entirety of the path with a touch of pink. The ceremony itself would be held at the very center of his estate, underneath a one-hundred-foot-tall weeping willow tree. There was a rose-covered lattice arch placed beneath the tree, an altar sitting just behind it, where Vincent and Yuffie would stand to be married. Beneath the blue sky that held only the slightest wisps of white, fluffy clouds, it was altogether an extremely romantic picture.

After speaking to a few of the caterers and decorators and giving a few last-minute orders to them, Rufus turned and began walking away from the gardens, headed instead to a small white wooden building not far off the path. Everything outside was in order; time to see how the bride and groom were doing.

* * *

"Cid, I… Can't breathe in this," Vincent muttered, pulling at the collar of his tuxedo in an attempt to relieve the feeling of being strangled. "I think you tied the bow too tightly." The pilot smiled and patted his shoulder, shaking his head in sympathy.

"It's not the tie, Vince, it's nerves." The gunman turned a skeptical eye to his friend, who seemed perfectly at ease despite looking very odd dressed in a clean black tuxedo with no aviation goggles. He had seen the pilot dressed so formally only at his wedding to Shera, where Vincent had been asked to be the best man. Although he was not comfortable in settings like that, he had accepted, and had now offered that title to Cid as well; the pilot had said yes before he even finished the question.

"Is this how you felt at your wedding, too?" Vincent asked quietly. Cid sighed and nodded, straightening the bowtie on Vincent's collar since the gunman had once again tugged it out of place.

"Thought I was gonna have a damn heart attack. Weird as hell, when ya think about it. I mean, I'd lived with Shera for years and I was totally comfortable with her, but somethin' about puttin' on the tux and waitin' to see her in that dress just… I dunno, I guess it made it seem more  _real_  somehow." Vincent nodded, swallowing nervously and forcing himself not to mess up his tie again; despite having always worn clothes that were tight around his neck, today it was just making him fidgety.

"I had always thought it was only the women who got nervous at weddings…" Vincent muttered with the tiniest of smiles. "I was very, very wrong."

" _Well you're still_ worlds _better now than when you proposed,_ " Chaos added teasingly, taking a great deal of amusement in watching his host fretting over something that seemed so simple to him. " _There were a few times that night when I was pretty sure you were going to stop breathing. Or throw up. Whichever came first._ " Vincent didn't even bother to dignify Chaos's teasing with a response; that, and the fact that he wasn't sure he wouldn't throw up  _now_ , made him decide to keep his mouth shut.

As if the gods had decided to grant him a little bit of mercy, Tseng and Elena entered the room at that moment with Rufus ShinRa, giving him a welcome distraction from his nervously swirling thoughts. The Wutaian Turk had been helping Vincent prepare a little something to surprise Yuffie today, but now his eyes were narrowed as he looked critically at the wild, wavy black mess that was Vincent's hair. No matter how hard he tried, Vincent could never tame it down – he suspected Chaos had something to do with it, intentionally or not – and the best he ever managed even at work was a messy ponytail. Today, though, Tseng was having none of that. The Boss Turk strode over to Vincent, brandishing a brush and a bottle of detangler like deadly weapons – which, in Tseng's hands, they could very well be if he wanted them to.

"You have exactly the same type of hair that Tseng does, Vincent," Elena said, lifting a lock of black hair up to examine it. "I guess even your quarter-Wutaian blood was enough to get you cursed with it as badly as he is. Don't worry, though, we'll figure something out."

"I'm gonna head down the hall and check on Yuffie, alright Vince?" Cid asked when the two Turks had begun their work. In addition to being Vincent's best man, Cid was also playing "Father of the Bride" that day, seeing as he was the one person Yuffie saw as a father figure in their ragtag group and she had broken off her ties to Godo completely during their run-in with Koichi. It made him happy, awakening some kind of paternal instinct he hadn't known he possessed until Rozalynne was born. Vincent nodded, making a dismissive gesture with his clawed hand as Elena began working detangler through his perpetual knots. Cid grinned. "Good luck there, Vince. I'll see ya in a bit. Oh, and Tseng, try not ta lose that brush in his hair. You'll never get it back." Tseng smiled, his gaze turning apologetic when he yanked on a particularly painful tangle and made Vincent wince a little.

"No promises."

* * *

"This is really happening right now, isn't it?" Yuffie asked softly, staring at herself in the mirror while Tifa fastened the back of her dress together. It was a very old gown, made of fine silk and white lace, and it dipped deeply in the back to reveal her shoulders and the curvature of her spine before trailing off into a flowery, lacy train that flowed out for three feet behind her. The dress had once belonged to Tifa's grandmother, but the barmaid had no hope of wearing it unless she had it significantly altered, due to the fact that her grandmother had had a figure and bust almost identical to Yuffie's. That, and the fact that Cloud was giving no indication of moving their relationship forward any time soon, had been what prompted Tifa to offer it to Yuffie.

"You look great, Yuffie," Tifa said with a smile, reaching up to attach the veil to Yuffie's simple but elegant hairstyle. She paused for a moment, looking over her makeup job and deeming it satisfactory, before giving her friend a quick hug. "Vincent won't know what to do when he sees you."

"You mean  _if_  he sees me," Yuffie said with a tiny grin, rolling her eyes as she spoke. "The guy's been avoiding me like the plague every time I even  _hint_  that I might be putting the dress on. He's the last guy I would've guessed would get into pre-wedding superstitions and stuff. I haven't even seen him since the night of the pre-wedding party! That was  _two nights ago_. And it's  _his_  apartment we're sharing! What's he been doing, sleeping under a bridge or something?" Tifa chuckled, kneeling down to pull a loose thread from the train of the dress.

"Don't give him too hard a time, Yuffie," she said gently, running her hands over the lace and silk to check for any wrinkles or other faults. "He's doing everything he can to make sure your marriage gets off on the right foot. It's just his way of showing he's nervous without actually admitting it. He really loves you, you know." Yuffie smiled brightly.

"I know. What other man with a name like his would've let me pick  _Valentine's Day_  for the wedding date?"

"To be honest, I'm still surprised he agreed to that."

"That's Vinnie for you – full of surprises." Her lips turned down a bit, her eyes looking off into a place Tifa couldn't see. "Sometimes I think I must still be dreaming, for a guy like him to pick a girl like me."

"Yuffie…"

"I don't mean we shouldn't be together or anything," she said hurriedly, snapping out of her daydream. "I just meant… Well, when we first met Vincent he was almost… scary, y'know? I think he might have even hated me for a while. But whatever changed between us, I'm really glad it did. Vinnie's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"And you're the best thing that's ever happened to him, too," Tifa said with a smile. "Trust me."

The sound of someone knocking at the door interrupted their discussion, and both looked toward the source of the sound immediately. A moment later, Cid's voice came through the door, just loud enough for them to hear him clearly.

"Hey, Brat, ya decent in there?"

"As decent as I'll ever be, Old Man," Yuffie replied, moving over so Tifa could smooth her dress one last time. Cid stepped into the room and closed the door softly behind him, taking a moment to stand back and look at Yuffie's ensemble. The shinobi waited nervously, expecting to hear one of the pilot's signature snide remarks. Instead, Cid stepped forward and gave her a quick hug, catching her completely off guard and leaving her staring at him in disbelief.

"Ya look real grown-up, Yuffie," he said quietly, an almost sad smile on his face. "O'course I guess at twenty-two that's what happens, but… Anyway, ya ready? Vince is out there waitin' for ya." Yuffie nodded dumbly, stepping out of the dressing room and into an open-air hallway that would place them right at the start of the aisle. Once Tifa had gone ahead of them to let Rufus know they were ready, Cid looped his arm around Yuffie's, using his other hand to pull the veil forward so it covered her face. A moment later they could hear the sound of soft music drifting up to them – a Wutaian melody being played by a string ensemble – and announcing the arrival of the bride.

"Ready?" Cid asked, standing up straighter while Yuffie tried to remind herself how to breathe.

"Yeah…" She shuffled her feet a little, feeling unsteady in her white heels.  _"Oh, Leviathan,"_  she prayed nervously, taking a deep breath while Cid began leading them out.  _"Please don't let me fall…"_

The path to the altar seemed so long, a marathon distance with her soon-to-be-husband waiting at the finish line. Yuffie was immediately grateful for Cid's steady presence beside her, leading her down the aisle step by step while all of her friends smiled at her from the edges of her vision. The music continued to play softly, gently, matching the slow rhythm of their footsteps as they made their way toward the lattice archway under which the altar stood. She scarcely saw anything but Vincent, who looked even more handsome than usual dressed in a black tuxedo with long coattails and a red rose on the lapel. His black hair was smoothed down and pulled into a clean ponytail, hanging down his back in a way that made him look like a gentleman from a century long past.

 _"One foot in front of the other… Again… And again…"_  Yuffie thought, keeping her gaze leveled on Vincent and feeling a smile work its way across her face. _"Don't let him see your heart's about to fly out of your chest, Yuffie… How can he look so calm about all this? And how can I be so happy and yet so scared at once? It doesn't make any sense…"_

After what seemed an eternity, the moment she had been waiting for finally came. The pilot brought them to a halt just in front of the great willow tree, taking Yuffie's hand in his and placing it gently in Vincent's before backing off to stand by the gunman's side along with Barret and Cloud; Tifa, Shera, and Elena were taking up the same positions on Yuffie's side. The gunman smiled gently, closing his hand around hers and leading her up to the place where Reeve Tuesti was waiting to begin the ceremony. The Commissioner raised his hands, and the music immediately ceased as everyone in the audience took their seats. After a quick, almost imperceptible smile at Vincent and Yuffie, he began to speak.

"Dear friends and family, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Vincent Valentine and Yuffie Kisaragi in marriage." Vincent took both of Yuffie's hands in his own, his red eyes vibrant as he looked upon his bride. "In the years they have known one another, their mutual love and understanding have grown and matured, and now they have decided to share the rest of their lives as husband and wife. If anyone objects to this union, speak now, or forever hold your peace." No one in the audience so much as breathed until Reeve spoke again.

"Yuffie and Vincent – Today you enter as individuals, but you will leave here as husband and wife, living as one, expanding the circle of your friends and family, and embarking upon the greatest adventure of human interaction. The tale of your life together is still unwritten. All those present have come to witness and celebrate your love and commitment today - eager to be a part of the story you will write." Turning toward Vincent, Reeve began to speak again.

"Vincent, will you have Yuffie to be your wife, to live together in creating an abiding marriage? Will you love and honor, comfort and cherish her in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, from this day forward?"

"I will," Vincent said softly, slipping a gold wedding band onto Yuffie's ring finger as he spoke. "And with this ring, I swear to you…" he leaned forward, speaking his next words very softly in her native language. " _My love, I am forever yours._ " Her eyes widened almost comically, although he could not see it through the veil. He had spoken the Wutaian vow without hesitation or even a trace of an accent.

"And Yuffie," Reeve continued. "Will you have Vincent to be your husband, to live together in creating an abiding marriage? Will you love and honor, comfort and cherish him in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, from this day forward?"

"I will," Yuffie echoed, giving Vincent a ring as well, although she placed it on his right ring finger instead of his left out of necessity. "With this ring, I swear…" She smiled, repeating the Wutaian vows to him as he had done. " _My love, I am forever yours._ "

"May you remember your commitment to each other always, and take strength in the eternal love that exists between you. And now, by the power vested in me by the World Regenesis Organization, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."

With a gentle sweep of his hand, Vincent brought the veil away from Yuffie's smiling face, returning the grin before picking her up and dipping her back into a deep kiss. Everyone in the audience, including the bridesmaids and groomsmen, cheered loudly, some – namely Reno – even whistling when Vincent set Yuffie back down and pulled her into an embrace. Barret sniffled and wiped his eyes on his sleeve, and Shera and Cid both felt themselves tearing up and tried desperately not to show it. "Ladies and gentlemen," Reeve continued, beaming at the couple himself. "I now present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Vincent and Yuffie Valentine!"

Everyone in attendance burst into applause and cheers, and Vincent scooped Yuffie up into his arms as everyone began making their way into Rufus's mansion, where the reception was to be held. At that instant, the cloudless sky began pouring rain, by all appearances drenching everyone and yet leaving them feeling perfectly dry and refreshed. The flowers and trees bloomed even more the instant the water touched them, and the air was immediately filled with the scent of lilies.

" _It seems she wanted to offer her congratulations, too,_ " Vincent thought, looking toward the sky as if expecting to see the pink-clad flower girl looking back at him. " _Thank you, Aerith…_ "

"I think this is a good sign," Yuffie whispered into his ear while he carried her up to the entrance of the dining hall. "I love you, Vinnie."

"And I love you, Yuff – You have  _got_  to be kidding me."

"What?" Yuffie asked, worried that he had been talking about her. Vincent just pointed, and she followed his gaze until she identified the source of his irritation. She clapped a hand over her mouth, trying and failing to hide a snort and a giggle. Vincent just sighed, shifting her slightly in his arms while she continued to shake with laughter. "Vin –  _pffft_! I did – I didn't – I didn't put him up to this, I swear-ahahahaha!" Vincent shook his head, his eyes searching for the redheaded Turk who he knew was responsible for the source of Yuffie's – and now many other people's – giggles.

"Reno, you are  _dead_."

* * *

Despite Vincent's threats, the redheaded Turk remained very much alive, and the reception went off without a hitch. In the end, Vincent was actually grateful for all of the red and pink Valentine's Day décor Reno had strung throughout the enormous dining hall. Yuffie loved it, and if she was happy then so was he. And, seeming to take Vincent somewhat into consideration, Reno had even made sure that very few of the heart-shaped decorations were actually pink; most were red, and some were even black.

The newlyweds spent the majority of the night dancing and talking with their friends, and Yuffie was surprised once again when she found out how good a dancer Vincent was. His every step was as fluid and effortless as it was when he was fighting, and he somehow managed to move her body with his in a way that made it seem as if she were just as skilled, which she knew she wasn't. It was a very nice change to see him so openly social, even if he still wasn't one to talk much. Champagne flowed like water, although Vincent indulged in only a little since he never liked the feeling of being unable to think straight. The food was so rich and so great in variety that there was no doubt Rufus had been behind the catering – no other man could so easily afford (or even know about) so many different types of exotic cuisine.

By the time midnight came around, most of the guests had begun to retire to their homes, wishing the happy couple well as they went. Yuffie and Vincent remained until everyone had gone but Rufus, Reeve, and the other Turks, and then they too changed into some less formal clothes and began preparing to leave. Yuffie had managed to catch Tseng in a hug before he and Elena departed; she knew who it was that had taught Vincent to speak that old Wutaian wedding vow so fluently. Now the only one left was Rufus, but before they could say goodbye and thank him for everything, the Shin-Ra President surprised them once again by taking both of their hands and leading them out toward the elevator that would take them to the roof of his house.

"Sir, what –" Vincent began, but he halted when Rufus held up a hand to silence him.

"Up there, you will find Reno waiting in a chopper to fly you out to Costa del Sol. I know you didn't think you'd be going on a honeymoon, but I just couldn't let you miss out on having one. I did the same for Tseng and Elena after their wedding, Vincent," he said, cutting the gunman off before he could protest. "You will be given the keys to my private beach house for the week, and you're free to do anything you want to until Reno comes to get you on the seventh day. Enjoy yourselves; that's an order."

"Yes, Sir!" Yuffie shouted with a quick salute, her lips parted in a wide grin over her pearly teeth. Vincent smiled and dipped his head respectfully, feeling Yuffie eagerly pulling his arm and glad he was heavier than her so he couldn't be dragged away.

"Thank you so much, Sir," he said as he finally allowed himself to be pulled a little further toward the elevator.

"Any time," Rufus said with a slight smile and a wave.

When the two of them had stepped into the elevator and begun their trip to the roof, Vincent leaned over and kissed the crown of Yuffie's head, letting her lean on him in sleepy contentment.

"I love you, Mr. Valentine," she whispered, laying her head on his shoulder and smiling up at him.

"And I love you, Mrs. Valentine."

"Will you still love me even if I get motion sick on the way there?"

"Yuffie, I would love you even if you were motion sick for the rest of your life."

" _Aww… If that's not the sweetest line I've ever heard…_ " Chaos muttered sleepily from inside Vincent's mind. Yuffie smiled at the gunman's response and yawned quietly, and Vincent felt warmth envelop his entire body when he looked down at his bride.

" _I will always love you, Yuffie,_ " he thought as he pulled her closer. " _And that is one thing that will never change._ "


End file.
